Police broke up a group of cars gathering and playing music at the Forest Park Bandshell parking lot in April.(Council Member Robert Holden)
Oct. 31, 2019 By Allie Griffin
Council Members Robert Holden and Paul Vallone introduced a bill yesterday that would increase fines for noise violations.
The bill specifically targets car owners who blast their stereo systems. It would increase the fine for a first offense from $100 to $200 and the fine for a third offense from $1,000 to $2,1000.
Both Holden and Vallone have received numerous complaints from their constituents regarding disruptive music and have met with the NYPD to discuss increased enforcement of noise complaints.
“For too long, car owners with vehicles equipped with excessive sound systems have congregated in our parks and public spaces and disturbed quality of life for New York City residents,” Council Member Vallone said. “Doubling these noise penalties will pressure drivers to think twice about being a bad neighbor and send a clear message that this quality of life disruption will not be tolerated.”
The bill is the latest measure to thwart Queens drivers from blasting music from inside their cars.
In April, the NYPD increased enforcement at Forest Park to crack down on gatherings of parked cars blasting music from inside the park and in July the Parks Department installed a gate at the entrance to the bandshell parking lot to curb unruly behavior.
Holden’s office had received several complaints from nearby residents that the music from the park was too loud and worked with the NYPD’s 102nd Precinct to thwart the noise levels.
“We are fortunate enough to have more space and quieter neighborhoods in the outer boroughs,” Council Member Holden said in a statement. “That is why my constituents are frustrated when car audio enthusiasts congregate in parking lots and blast music that can be heard from miles away.”
“My hope is that increasing the fine for such behavior will act as a deterrent and make people be more considerate of the neighborhoods around them,” he added.
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7 Comments
I can’t stand be awakened at 3:00 a.m. by crappy music – most talking about women’s parts and “doing it”. I wouldn’t hurt the driver, just shoot his tires; same thing with people not just honking their horns, but it’s road range honking!! The police precinct by me doesn’t even give tickets to cars parked by fire hydrants every day, every night and sometimes for days. Some have city permits on their dashboard and always get away with it, most cars don’t have permits! The police pass by in their cars a few times a day and a ticket agent doesn’t do anything about the illegal park! I wish I could park by a hydrant but I’d have an orange piece of paper on my windshield.
Sara, think logically… You shoot his tires then he can’t move so he’ll have to blast his stereo at you for longer!
GOOD.
Honking too! Give $1000 fines to everyone who honks their horn.
Someone needs to come up with a small EMP device with a working radii of five feet. That can be tossed in their window and will fry their sound system. That’s the best way to deal with these cretins who insist on driving around with their windows down , blasting their shite music.
There was a large gathering of cars and people at the strip mall on Atlantic Avenue and 102 Street last Saturday. All of the cars were blasting music for hours and holding drag races along the avenue. Neither the 102 Pct or 911 answered the phone.
This is just one example of the daily din were are forced to endured.
It doesn’t matter how large the fine might be if there is not enforcement
I though we stopped being a nanny state when Bolomberg left office. How about the city council actually works on things that are important like the homeless, subways etc. I have lived here my entire life (close to 60) and can’t wait to get out when my wife retires in 2 years
Police Dept. is not enforcing the law when it comes to loud boom-box music blasting from passing cars on our block.